Do You Have Swagga????

From the Desk of King in Miami
Follow me on Twitter for the Latest in South Florida Nightlife

This is a short documentary about U Street- a very trendy neighborhood in the D.C.
I rarely share videos like this, but it demostrates who has "swagga".

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/artsandliving/scene-in/index.html?hpid=multimedia1&hpv=national

Wendy Williams Apologizes To Drag Queens

The Wendy Williams Show has issued a formal apology to drag performer Erickatoure Aviance, who was told that she would be removed from the audience if she tried to appear on camera.
According to The Advocate, Aviance was standing in line for the show when an executive told her that she was in violation of a “no-costumes” dress code policy. She was allowed to stay, but was moved to be seated out of camera view and was advised her that she would be asked to leave if she drew any attention to herself or tried to ask Wendy Williams (read our interview here, Wendy responds to criticism that she mocks the gay community) a question from the audience.
Aviance noted that she wasn’t even rocking the most outlandish of all audience members: “I was wearing a ponytail piece and a bang piece. It was much less hair than Wendy was wearing and, p.s., much less hair than any of the other black women in the audience. There were big blond bouffants, lots of church makeup, party dresses, blue mohawks — and I’m made to feel like some sort of clown? No, it definitely wasn’t about what I was wearing. It was because I was a man in a dress.”
They show tried to make nice with the following statement that Lonnie Burstein, executive vice president of programming and production for Debmar-Mercury (the company behind The Wendy Williams Show) issued to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation:
“Much of the success of The Wendy Williams Show is due to our incredibly diverse and colorful audience and we all agree that fashion is a true form of self expression. But in an attempt to explain and enforce our show’s dress code, I was not as sensitive as I could have been to Ericka, the LGBT community, or drag’s long history of being a target of discrimination. And for that, I sincerely apologize as it was never my intention to offend in any way.”
That’s a start, but hopefully Wendy checks her staff! As many times as Wendy has joked about being a drag queen herself (with her huge wigs and attention-grabbing fashions), there’s no reason why this sould’ve ever gone down on her show.

Two transgender women stabbed in broad daylight

Joshua Mack 21 Clinton,Md Died on Wednesday Aug 26 after being stabbed in DC pictured above.

Police say a double stabbing in broad daylight left one person dead and another injured in Northwest Washington on Wednesday.

Police say two people were stabbed in the 200 block of Q Street Northwest around 2:30 p.m. Officers found two transgender women in front of the building when they arrived. One of the victims, identified as twenty-one year old Joshua Mack from Clinton, Md., later died at a hospital.

The second victim remains hospitalized in stable condition.

The crime scene was an alarming sight for residents who live on Q Street. One neighbor told FOX 5 they saw the two victims running from their attacker, and that one of them collapsed on the sidewalk. That victim later died.

"He said he couldn't breathe, 'I can't breathe,'" said Frenzell Alexander, a neighbor. "He came down 4th street and was gasping for breath and was bleeding from his neck."

Late Wednesday, police announced that 21-year-old Joshua Mack of Clinton, Maryland was pronounced dead at Howard University Hospital just after 3 p.m. The second victim was taken to a local hospital and admitted in stable condition with non-life threatening injuries. Police are withholding the identity of the second victim, who was a witness to the murder.

The Metropolitan Police Department is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the killer.

Nano Boo, who sometimes used her birth name of Joshua Mack, lived in Clinton, Maryland. Detectives are unsure if gender or perceived sexual orientation was a factor in the murder and stabbing. But the stabbings occurred about two blocks "from the North Capitol Street offices of Transgender Health Empowerment [which] provides drop-in services to transgender people, including transgender youth."

There will be a candlelight vigil for the two trans victims tomorrow night at 6:30pm 209 Q ST NW. Washington DC.

'Gays Too Precious To Risk In Combat'

Gen. McBrayer discusses how valuable homosexuals are, and why we must never put their lives at risk by allowing them in the military. More coverage at: http://onion.com

Ted Kennedy lion of the Senate and fierce progressive advocate Died at 77

Andresflava honors the life and legacy of the Lion of the Senate, Edward M. Kennedy, 1932-2009. His loss is a serious blow to progressives in this country. In his honor, I pray that we mobilize to pass the upcoming legislation he championed.

Senator Edward Kennedy's death marks the twilight of one of America's most fabled political families, with no heirs to the Kennedy name poised to emerge with the same mix of gravitas, ambition and celebrity.

Kennedy, 77, one of the most effective lawmakers in U.S. history and the brother of assassinated President John F. Kennedy, died late on Tuesday after battling brain cancer.

MJ 51st Birthday Celebration at Prospect Park in Brookyln

From the Desk of King in Miami
Follow me on Twitter for the Latest in South Florida haps

Remebering Aaliyah D. Haughton 8 years later

Aaliyah - The One I Gave My Heart To




Today the world lost an precious angel Aaliyah D. Haughton and on this day i wanted to take a moment and remeber her. You be missed baby girl.

Anacostia The Web Series Promotional Trailer

Promotional Trailer for ANACOSTIA THE WEB SERIES Produced by Southeast Boy Productions L.L.C. in Association with InnerFace Films. Starring Walter Maxfield Jones, Tamieka Chavis, Chante' Bowser, Wil Lash, Anthony Anderson, Jermaine McNeal, Kena Hodges, Tia Dae, Kareem Pettaway, Pasha Diallo and Marion Akpan catch the show and FULL EPISODES at www.anacostia-thewebseries.com

Black Maryland Lesbian Couple Kicked out of Diner 4 Kissing

story courtesy of loldarian.com and Washington Blade

Aiyi'nah Ford and her partner Torian Brown got a side order of discrimination during an early morning visit last week to Tastee Diner in Silver Spring, Maryland. The couple tells Washington Blade that after they finished eating and paid, they waited at the counter to give the waitress her tip, and embraced. This simple display of affection and the subsequent reaction from the diner's manager prompted a sit-in protest Wednesday night by Ford & Brown along with dozens of same-sex couples.


From The Washington Blade:

Ford said a manager she identified only by the first name Paul, asked if they could "please take that outside." Ford asked Paul if he was serious, and he said that he was. Ford noted that a heterosexual couple was kissing at a nearby booth.

"He proceeded to say that this was a family establishment and that people are trying to eat, as though our embrace would make someone sick," Ford said.

She said the waitress followed the women outside after she received her tip and apologized, adding that the incident was embarrassing and that similar incidents have happened before.

"That was the icing on the cake," Ford said.

"It stops now"! Disrespect, discrimination, hatred, bigotry, will stop now and it will stop today or else they will not receive the buying power of the 15 million individuals who identify as lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, or intersex," says a defiant Ford to the media before the scheduled protest.


"And our 744 million dollars worth of buying power will no longer come to Tastee Diner anymore and I will show as much affection as I want and I encourage everyone else to do so tastefully and peacefully".


In an interview with NBC Washington restaurant manager Lisa Wilkes says the couple went further than simple affection and touched each other innapropriately. "The Tastee Diner is a family restaurant, and it doesn't matter if you're straight or if you're gay,' Wilkes said. 'If you start going beyond the point of kissing and things start to get a little X-rated, we're going to ask you to stop.'"

Below is the video from the protest:

An Open Letter 2 the DC Black Gay Community from a DC Resident

LET ME FIRST PREFACE THIS POST BY SAYING THAT I RECIEVED THIS EMAIL FROM A DC RESIDENT IN MY INBOX LATE MONDAY NIGHT AT 7:54PM TO BE EXACT. I DO NOT KNOW THE AUTHOR AND HOW HE GOT MY EMAIL ADDRES BUT I THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE HIS OPEN LETTER TO THE DC BLACK GAY COMMUNITY.



dc's stupid black gay community


By Earl Richards

I'm simply pissed at the way dc black community has changed........people please open ur eyes! THERE WAS A TIME WHEN DC WAS POPPIN....now its a hot mess the club scene is some bullshit. friday night these stupid ass black kids go to LIV that the worst shit in dc on a friday night so I stay home or maybe go to that tired as HALO where the drinks are over priced in weak as hell in the black fags called themselves taking over the white boys club......trust in believe they donot want our black asses in there but we go anyway. now I'm about to really go off on the dc black kids just about 2 months ago omegaparty thru a party @ studio 10 which had no alcohol license in was shut down. the detectives in abc board member in those tired as promoters put everyone at risk just for a dollar....to pay there bills. the club was shut down.. those dirty motherfucker took our money without offering a refund in hit it out the door....NOW they are back at it again with there new friday party at Mirrors .....sorry to say I will not attend that shit at all in I advice all of DC Black Gay kids not to support the shit either.......what happen to the ole days when dc was the shit.. NOW ALL WE HAVE IS A LIV ON A FRIDAY - SO TIRED......THE DELTA ......A PLAYGROUND. oh did i mention the owner has the fuckin nerve to charge the under 21 kids $25 dollars to get into the roach motel. the Mill is really bad these days since Mike took over....so me and my friend hang out @ Town or the new Secrets.

I just had to get this out so you'll dumb ass black kids can open yall eyes. Friday August 21st is the grand opening of Omega Party @ Mirrors donot support that shit plus Mirrors is tired too. go to Secrets in see real naked strippers. back to Liv - K&C has bee takin our money every week in what have they given us? nothing
they never has a performer like the other promoter do in atlanta...dc use to have all the hott performers at the edge. wat happened yall? we need to stop going to the LIV too they don't do shit for us. I'm just tired of the stupid promo guys wantin to be seen in if keelon try in holla at me one more time imma punch him in the face. its a shame him in his BF Chris is sleeping around with every body in dc.......why we don't get the Love club anymore? I do like eyeball place it cute - just to small in I'm afraid something gonna happen in we won't all get out in time....IE: dealth trap.

bring back the big lukes...and darryl cause dc is in CHambleS.......oh did i forget Ivan -trade another HOTT MESS...that remington's white cow boy stank shit.


DC BLACK KIDS YALL NEED TO GET IT TOGETHER.


EARL

Controversial Journalist Sam Ferguson Shot Dead

Police are investigating the brazen shooting death of a Miami journalist who worked for Don Diva Magazine.

Samuel Ferguson, 47, was shot to death on Friday (August 14) when unknown assailants opened fire on his car, as he was driving along the Florida Turnpike.

Ferguson, who also went by the name of Samuel Silvasteen and was President of Don Diva, crashed his car into a median and was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to Don Diva founder Tiffany Chiles, Ferguson was hired nine months ago to help the street magazine gain a stronger footprint in the Southern Florida region.

"We are deeply saddened by this tragic and senseless incident," Chiles told AllHipHop.com. "Sam was not just the president of Don Diva South, he was a family friend for over 20 years. Sam was our brother. He was well respected and loved my many. He will be missed."

Ferguson aka “P Man Sam” found himself in the middle of controversy in October of 2008, as news that Rick Ross was once a correctional officer began to the Internet.

Ross, who had known Ferguson prior to his job with Don Diva, took Ferguson to his Carol City, Florida neighborhood for an interview, presumably for the magazine.

The rapper became angry with Ferguson over an interview with Hip-Hop Weekly and for a Q&A with Don Diva magazine titled “Would the Real Rick Ross Stand Up.”

“Ferguson is a liar, he’s an informant, he’s a rat, he’s a b***h,” Rick Ross said of Ferguson during their feud. “I hope he’s offended; get at me in the streets n***a you know how we play. This s**t about to get Deeper Than Rap.”

Police have no suspects in the shooting, but they seek a black car with clear tail light lenses.

Casting Call for Lee Hayes Presents: Flesh to Flesh - An Erotic Series

Casting Call for Lee Hayes Presents: Flesh to Flesh - An Erotic Series


Episode 1 focuses on a male couple in a long-term relationship who decides to spice up their sex life and the consequences that follows.


Submit acting resume and photos to the email address Listed in this casting call which is fleshtofleshcasting@gmail.com


CHARACTER BREAKDOWNS:

ANTHONY DIX, African-American male, late-twenties, clean-cut, good looking;

JAMAL PHILLIPS, African-American male, mid-twenties, masculine with tattoos on his arm, handsome;

AHMAD ARMSTRONG, African-American male, late twenties, good-looking, sophisticated and very polished;

MONICA RANDALL African-American female, beautiful, edgy and stylish, in her mid-twenties;

ERIC STEWART African-American male, late twenties, with a toned and solid body, a bit unpolished/rough around the edges;

MARCUS JOHNSON, African-American male, mid-thirties, very distinguished-looking and charming, good body;

JAYCENT TUPPER, African-American male, mid-thirties, very attractive with a beautiful smile;

ZANDAR PAIGE - African-American male (light-skinned) early-twenties, , extremely good-looking and masculine

Kim & Nene of Of The Real Housewives Of Atlanta Cat Fight

Kim & Nene (Of The Real Housewives Of Atlanta) Air Each Other Other Out Live On TV! "You Dont Work Bitch. Go To Sleep. Its Late In Atlanta. Close Your Legs To Married Men"+Full Fight Between Kim & Sheree

Usain Bolt New World Recorld of 9.58 in 100m in Berlin

Usain Bolt is UNSTOPPABLE is there anyone who can stop this MAN!


Usain Bolt has captured another world record, winning the 100-meter race in 9.58 seconds at the world championships.

Bolt shaved 0.11 seconds off the record he set at the Beijing Olympics, beating defending champion Tyson Gay on Sunday, who set a U.S. record of 9.71 seconds.

Hair stylist says he was fired from campus salon for 'flamboyance'

From the Desk of King in Miami
Follow me on the Twitter for the latest in South Floria haps

Story courtesy of Philadelphia Daily News

Danny Brant, a 25-year-old gay man who dresses in women's clothing, never faced discrimination for his clothing choice when he worked in real estate or at his old hairstylist jobs in the Philadelphia suburbs.

"I may have been picked on, but I was never told, 'You can't wear that,' " he said.

But Brant, a native of Philadelphia, said that about three months after he landed a job at the Chop Shop hair salon on Temple University's main campus, management of the salon began discriminating against him for his clothes.

"You would think, out of all those places [I've worked], if it was ever gonna have a problem, it would have been there, not at a place on a college campus," he said yesterday.

On July 30, Brant filed a federal discrimination suit seeking unspecified damages in the form of back pay and compensation for the emotional distress he claims was caused by the Chop Shop.

In the suit, Brant alleges that Chop Shop owner Kathy Thomas cut his hours and stopped sending male clients to him about three months into his employment there, in June 2007, claiming that he was "too flamboyant."

Brant also said Thomas had him sent home from work for wearing high heels or women's shorts and that, ultimately, he was transferred to the Chop Shop's South Street location and allowed to work only one day a week before he was fired.

Yesterday, multiple calls to the Chop Shop's South Street, Manayunk and Temple University locations seeking comment from Thomas went unreturned.

Brant said Thomas has told various media outlets that he was fired for referring a salon patron looking for waxing hair removal elsewhere, because the Chop Shop on South Street did not offer that service - a common practice at the salon, he said. He said that another employee told him when his hours were cut that Thomas wanted to "phase him out."

"I wear women's clothing because I feel more comfortable in it," Brant said.

"This claim has to do with gender stereotyping," Brant's lawyer, Susan Wexler explained. "As far as we know, there is no dress code at the Chop Shop."

Brant, who recalled wearing a women's polo shirt, women's flare jeans, a fur-hooded sweatshirt and women's wedge shoes when he interviewed for the job, said he was never informed of any dress code at the salon and described employees' dress as "casual."

He said losing his job at the Chop Shop, where he worked full time at one point, caused a devastating loss of income for his family - including the man he describes as his husband, Robert, and their two dogs, Holly Golightly and Elizabeth Taylor - and forced them to "downsize their cost of living tremendously."

"How do you put a price on your self-worth and mental well-being? It's priceless," he said. "It's like if your boss told you to grow three inches by tomorrow or don't come back to work. She was asking me to be something I wasn't."

ANACOSTIA THE WEB SERIES EXCLUSIVE SCENE (EDITED)

Walter Maxfield Jones (Michael) and Tamieka Chavis (Mia) in a very INTENSE scene from the upcoming Web Series ANACOSTIA written and produced by Anthony Anderson of SOUTHEAST BOY PRODUCTIONS....COMING THIS MONTH to www.anacostia-thewebseries.com join us on Facebook!!! The trailer will be premiering lata today so as soon as i recieve it i will add it to this post.

Whitney Houston on Good Morning America Sept 1

Whitney Hoston GMA Event
Wednesday Sept 1, 2009
Central Park,NYC
Enter at 69th street and 5th Avenue
Gates open at 11am

Who Speaks 4 the Black LGBT Community

So that is the question i pose on facebook and wow what a response i got to the question. But in all truth and honesty i wanted to see what people would say for a future town hall meeting thats taking place here in DC on Thursday Aug 20 at the Reeves Center from 630-830pm with this being the focal point of the COMMUNITY TALK! Below are the responses to the question.






Steven G Fullwood
you.

Andre Allen
@steven i cant take that credit

Derek Stewart
Us all.


Alan Sharpe
And Steven...

Andre Allen
@derek so there is not one person of few people that are not leaders of the community that speak 4 us?

Steven G Fullwood
i don't believe in leaders. just folk. so that's what i mean by you. so yes, derek, us all.


Kraig Ronald Scott
No ONE

Andre Allen
@steven why no leader. shouldnt someone step up and out? just being devils advocate here

Kevin Bernard
You can do it Andre,but we have larger issues,besides being HOMO's

Steven G Fullwood
the framework that supports the type of "leadership" we've witnessed and have been abused by for the last, say, 600 years and more, has been more about war than peace. at this juncture, empowering everyone in the village might prove more useful. patriarchy, among other isms, presupposes that that one need a leader, a one, a theocratic sensibility ... Read Morewhere it becomes more about ego than the spiritual well-being of the community. fuck a leader. i need a village's support. and frankly what leaders traditionally do is let a great deal of the very people who elected them be abused by a system built on lies and oppression.


Kraig Ronald Scott
@ Andre, NO, because for most people, GAY is only a PART of who they are , not a majority of who they are, thus most people don't feel the need to speak up for something that isn't a significant representation for who they are.Prime example, I don't classify myself as GAY, because to me, GAY is a lifestyle, not a mentality...I don't live a gay lifestyle. I engage in "masculine" behaviors and activities. The only difference is I sleep with members of the same-sex.

Kevin Bernard
@Kraig you are a genius


Andre Allen
@kraig this is so true. just seein whats people thoughts are @steven i totally agree with u


Felipe Blige
I agree with kraig.


Rodney Snell
Steven beat me to the appropriate response. That's why I appreciate him and you for considering the question.

Derek Stewart
Men who have sex with other men, regardless of how they classify themselves, have specific and unique issues which impact them collectively. The question of leadership is important because the larger society will not address these unique issues if no one is pressing them to do so.

Andre Allen
@derek so should we be using labels to claddify who we are in this supposed "community"

Derek Stewart
Really. Who cares? Black men are killing each other with their fists and/or dicks. I know. A little over the top. But the numbers don't lie. The people out there fighting this battle for greater access to healthcare, substance and mental health services, for men who have sex with other men could care less how we label each ourselves. The more important conversation is how do we individually and collectively build a community where we are not the instruments of our own destruction.


Kevin Bernard
@Derek,what do you mean by killing w/ dicks???,That is very homophobic to say&one of the reasons,ppl dont get TESTED,cause of these acidity STATEMENTS


Derek Stewart
Look HIV is not spread through casual contact. If black men who sleep with black men have one of the highest incidences of HIV in the world then we have to own up to this and do something about it. Hand holding and walking on egg shells and demanding a quiet and quaint conversation is not gonna cut it. People don't get tested because they are either uninformed on the benefits of knowing ones status or they just don't care about themselves or others.

Andre Allen
@derek interesting


Kevin Bernard
Now that sounds intelligent ,Derek,.......not that other statement,thanks for not flying off the handle


Derek Stewart
I know I was being provocative when I made the earlier statement. But I fear that we are not engaged in the fight for our own self preservation.


Kevin Bernard
That is correct,but EGGSHELLS work w/ the majority of ppl I come across,once you can convince ppl they can survive this,w/proper MEDS,but we tend to cover UP a lot in "BLACK ISSUES"I am tempted to go on but I'll stop

HIV/AIDS Activist Justin B Smith Elopes to Long time Beau

I was shocked when Justin told me he was eloping a few weeks ago over lunch but in a good way. Having known Justin for a while and seeing his interacting with him and Dr. Phillip Terry i could see they really loved and cared for one another. 2 weekends ago Justin and the Dr. Eloped in Povincestown, Mass in a very beautiful ceremony. Congrats to the both of them and i wish them much success.

Gay Bash Victim says he's blames self 4 attack

Dwan Prince, a 31 year old gay HIV-positive man who was brutally attacked in 2005 in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn after flirting with his attacker Steven Pomie, 26, four years later has a change of heart and now blames himself for the assault that left him partially paralyzed and hopes Pomie's 25 year sentence gets reduced in the process.


Gay City News reports:


"First please allow me to deeply apology for my hated comment,” Prince wrote in the July 20 letter, which Gay City News is quoting verbatim. “Please I do hope you know I am truly deeply sorry for what ever was sayed that night. I have made some big mistakes in my life and that was the stupidiest and biggest one of all.”


Pomie first beat and kicked Prince with two other men, and then made a second assault with another man, witnesses said during Pomie’s 2006 trial. When Pomie returned alone to deliver a third beating, witnesses prevented him from attacking Prince, who was lying unconscious on the sidewalk.


One witness testified that as Pomie walked away from the scene, he quickly turned back and “kicked [Prince] with his Tims,” referring to the Timberland brand of boots. “Then blood started gushing,” the witness said.


A second witness testified that Pomie said, “Yo, leave it alone son, the nigger’s gay,” when asked why he had beaten Prince. The prosecutor in the case asked if Pomie had used the word “gay,” and the witness responded, “He said, ‘He’s a faggot.’”


According to Gay City News Prince is unable to remember much of what occurred on the night he was attacked. In the letter Prince writes, "“What I asked the state to do is sentence you to five years and five years parole.” He also expressed the hope that they could be friends.


“Steve you changed me!” Prince wrote. “So hopefully when you get out we can hang out. You know me. I know you. I help you calm that angry machine down. And allow you to know I am not gay but a lover, and you can find me a female I can love and can love me.”


Prince has been attending a Bible study class at the Riverside Church, a liberal congregation, but he said he has not discussed his changed sexual orientation there.


“I am looking to change my life these days,” says Prince. “I am looking for a female who I can marry and have my sperm washed and have children... With me going to church, I feel myself that I must try to live by the Bible, I must try to live by God’s law.”

America's Got Talent "Vogue Evolution"

2009 America's Best & Worst airports

America's Top Five Best Airports 2009
1. Salt Lake City (SLC)

2. Portland (PDX)

3. (Tie) Washington, D.C. (DCA)

3. (Tie) Minneapolis St. Paul (MSP)

5. (Tie) Los Angeles (LAX)

5. (Tie) San Diego (SAN)

5. (Tie) Tampa (TPA)



America's Top Five Worst Airports 2009
1. Newark (EWR)

2. Chicago (ORD)

3. Miami (MIA)

4. (Tie) Dallas Ft. Worth (DFW)

4. (Tie) New York (LGA)

4. (Tie) New York (JFK)

This is according to yahoo.com travel and leisure section

Maxwell’s Fall Tour Dates

Fresh from his sizzling summer tour dates, Maxwell takes a brief break before he heats up his North American Fall Tour. Common and Chrisette Michele will be supporting acts for Maxwell who starts the tour on September 25th in Toronto. Tickets for Maxwell’s Fall Tour go on sale starting August 14 at livenation.com. See tour dates below. Maxwell’s top selling, highly acclaimed CD BLACKsummers’night is available everywhere.

Maxwell’s BLACKsummers’night Fall Tour w/ Common and Chrisette Michele:

Fri Sept 25 - Toronto @ Air Canada Centre

Sat Sept 26 - Detroit @ Joe Louis Arena (w/o Common)

Mon Sept 28 - New York @ Madison Square Garden

Wed Sept 30 - Richmond @ Richmond Coliseum

Fri Oct 2 - Washington DC @ Verizon Center

Sat Oct 3 - Philadelphia @ Wachovia Spectrum (w/o Common)

Mon Oct 5 - Atlanta @ Phillips Arena

Tue Oct 6 - Charlotte @ Time Warner Cable Arena

Thu Oct 8 - Chicago @ United Center

Fri Oct 9 - St. Louis @ Scottrade Center

Mon Oct 12 - Dallas @ TBA

Tue Oct 13 - Houston @ Toyota Center

Fri Oct 16 - Los Angeles @ Hollywood Bowl

Sat Oct 17 - San Francisco @ TBA

New Whitney houston- Million Dollar Bill

New Whitney Million Dollar Bill premiered yesterday and i am LOVIN' IT! so get into and make sure you cop her album which comes out on Aug 31. Also Ms. Hosuton will be on Good Morning America on Sept 2.

LIL KIM PERFORMING LIVE 4 the "KIDS" ATL BLACK GAY PRIDE!

Sunday Sept 6

If you have not already bok ya hotel room 4 Atlanta Black Pride Weekend Sept 2-7 this might make you wana do it NOW! This just in from our media partner Tron from http://www.whatsthet.com/ he has learned that Lil Kim will be the headliner this year as she will be PERFORMING LIVE! Saturday Sept 4 at Club TRAXX. Along with Lil Kim other celebs performing during PURE HEAT 2009 brought to you by TRAXX ATL will be KERI HILSON, CHRISTTE MICHELE AND CASSIE i am sure this is just the begining of CELEBRITY NAMES TO BE ANNOUNCED IN THE COMING DAYS! and only TRAXX brings you the HEAVY HITTERS each and every year!

Stephon Marbury comes out the closet??

watch the video and you be the judge?

Pictorial Review of 2009 White Attire Affair-DC

The White Attire Affair took place on July 18 2009 here in DC at the Onyx and 350 people came to party with a purpose and for a great cause! The cause was to supoprt HIV/AIDS so get into the pictorial review and the video from the night is on the right hand side. This will be an event not to be missed in July 2010!

Dancing with the Devil By Taylor Siluwe

You can read more about one of the orginal blogger and and friend of andresflava at www.taylorsiluwe.com This is one of the must read book for the Fall/winter of 2009 and check back in september as we give you are Fall/Winter list of literary work that you should be reading in 2009/2010.

Dancing With The Devil is a work of dark brilliance - an emotional experience that can leave the reader with the hollow emptiness that follows intense passion and explosive lust for a lover who will take you to ecstatic heights, then destroy you. It is that kind of writing - a journey into the lower depths of the soul with the path illuminated by flashes of hot lightning. And when it is all over, the emptiness slowly fills with the awareness of having survived and of having experienced the brutal edge of life at its most dangerous and most exhilarating. One thing can be guaranteed; you will not forget having read this book. It will excite you, haunt you and finally, it will cast you aside and leave you wanting more. ~ Toby Grace, Editor, Out IN Jersey magazine

The Legacy of E. Lynn Harris

By some estimates, Harris’ 14-book collection as a franchise of motion pictures, television movies, DVDs and Broadway musicals could fetch anywhere from $100-$250 million over the next 30 years.

Marva Allen, managing partner and co-owner of the Harlem-based Hue-Man Bookstore, knows firsthand the strength of E. Lynn Harris’ brand. “He had a huge female following. More followers than I can remember of an author in a long time.” She added that Harris “touched a genre that needed to happen in Black America. He had a great cross-section of people who loved his work. There’s definitely an audience for his books if made into films.” Allen also reports a huge surge in book requests since the author’s death. So will we finally see Harris’ work on the silver screen? Well, the answer literally was being played out a few weeks ago until the day the bestselling author died. Despite fainting on a train en route to Tinseltown to solidify his book-to-movie dreams, Harris typed that he was “soldiering on” in a text message to an assistant. Once he arrived in Los Angeles, he met with producer Tracey Edmonds just hours before he died.

One insider reports that Harris “basically blessed the project” for the film adaptation of "Invisible Life," his first novel, which shot Harris to fame in 1994. There are reportedly also two finished scripts, one which focuses on the college years and the other on the New York City years of characters Raymond, Nicole and Basil. Other finished scripts include "Not A Day Goes By" and "I Say A Little Prayer." In September, the novel "Mama Dearest," which is the follow-up to "Not A Day Goes By," hits bookstores. And the first of a new book series Harris had just created titled, "The Bentley Chronicles," arrives in 2010.

It’s also been confirmed that Harris reserved the Lincoln Theater in Washington, D.C. for a 4-week run in 2010 for "Invisible Life (The Musical)," which was being primed for an eventual Broadway run. So important was this project that the music was written by the legendary duo Ashford & Simpson and the script written by August Wilson’s protégé, Javon Johnson.

And eerily, Harris told an assistant he had received a creative vision to end the "Invisible Life" book series with a novel titled, "Upon My Demise."

With multiple creative irons in the fire, was Harris finally able secure a franchise film deal with television and Broadway musicals attached? “The answer is complicated,” says the source. But in the next few weeks, he says, fans of E. Lynn Harris’ work may finally get news on the film adaptation of a genre of fiction that literally knocked down taboos and transcended stigma in order to become part of the social fabric of Black America.

Bitter Sweet End to a GREAT weekend- Omaha Days 2009

From the Desk of King in Miami
Follow me on Twitter for the latest haps in South Florida

Even Dwayne Wade, Gabrielle Union, Morris Chestnut, and other celebrities were in town for the Omaha Days festivities. So you know I had to show up and represent for the native Omahans.
--------------------

Bitter Sweet End to a GREAT Weekend- Omaha Days 2009

From the Desk of King in Miami
Follow me on Twitter for the latest haps in South Florida

It was hard saying good-bye to my friends and friends. But here is some highlights from the action-packed weekend.
--------------------------------------------------

A Bitter Sweet Ending to a Great Weekend- Omaha Days 2009

From the Desk of King in Miami
Follow me on Twitter for the Latest Haps in South Florida

Boy, boy, boy....what a great weekend! I traveled back to my old stomping grounds in Omaha, Nebraska for Native Omaha Days 09. And it seems alot of celebrities had the same idea to make the trip to the Midwest as well. Dwayne Wade from the Miami Heat, Gabrielle Union (an Omaha native), Morris Chestnut, and a few others were in town for the four-day party weekend.

You are probably wondering what is Native Omaha Days. Native Omaha days is a bi-annual celebration for the city, mostly the black community in North Omaha. Every other year, native Omahas come back to the city for a what I call a homecoming but on a grander scale. The weekend has parties, dancing, parade, a celebrity basketball game, concerts, free food, vendors, and more. It is one of the premier weekends in Omaha. I stayed at the Hilton with Wade and Grabrielle Union. I didn't get a glimps of the superstars but often say their entourage hanging around and pulling off in Hummers and limos.

It was great to see my family and friends, many of which I haven't seen in ten years. I was being pushed to march in the parade but decided not too. My family reunion was actually held this past weekend in Omaha too. My family coming from Texas, Atlanta, Denver, and so many other places, I can't name them all. Even my best friend from Atlanta came up for the festivities. It was great weekend nevertheless. A little bit of violence too. It always seems blacks in small towns and cities can't get along without shooting or some type of drama. Omaha Days 2009 was overall one to remember.

Open Thread: "Disease Free U B 2"

I wanted to share this thread with you guys from via blogger friend Darian Aaron site http://www.loldarian.com/ and get your feedback i have included the comments left on his page as well.

Log onto any of the popular gay hook-up sites, Black Gay Chat, Adam 4 Adam, Manhunt, etc and you're bound to read the following; "Disease Free U B 2" in just about every profile along with the standard "hood speech", penis size, and preferred sexual position. But is this a form of sexual discrimination? One HIV positive man who wrote into sex advice columnist Woody Miller seems to think so."What is up with so many guys advertising their HIV-negative status in discriminatory terms like “HIV Neg- UB2,” or “D&D Free for Same,” and lots of other senseless statements in the same vein? That is so ten years ago! What would they do DIFFERENTLY if they DIDN’T know my status right up front? And since when does the word “CLEAN” refer to absence of HIV??? YIKES!"If we are to believe the statistics nearly 50% of all black gay men are positive. So are we naive enough to believe that we've never slept with someone who has HIV or will never come across someone we've met online during a hook-up that isn't honest about his status? Is it really necessary to say, “disease-free UB2” when one could easily say “Prefer HIV-?” And when you're meeting someone for a random hook-up how will you know for sure if they're being honest? A wise gay mentor once told me to treat everyone as if they're positive and take the proper precautions. So what say you?Don't hold back. Discuss.

Here are the comments Dig in and as Darian said LETS DISCUSS


Anonymous said...
Darian, this is a great subject. First, let me say that I would never discriminate against someone soley on the basis on their HIV status. As a matter of fact, I feel deeply in love with someone who was positive and we dated for 4 years. I asked him from the very beginning about his status (diseases) and he was incredible honest. I appreciated that as someone who is negative. I thought he was hot was I first saw him, and thought so even more after he was so honest with me. Now, note this: I brought it up from the very begining. Asking is very important to me (I didn't think I would ever date someone who was positive, but I learned HOW to date him). I see nothing wrong with people wanting to know their partners status from the start. THERE ARE TOO MANY HIV+ GUYS OUT THERE WHO FEEL THAT IF YOU DON'T ASK, THEN YOU DON'T CARE ENOUGH ABOUT YOURSELF, AND THERE IS NO NEED FOR THEM TO TELL YOU. With that in mind, I see nothing wrong with guys stating their preferences for disease free in their ads. There's no need for saving that drama for later; it can cause heart wrenching/painful break-ups. It's better for both sides to know up front and avoid that pain. I could have made a decision not to date the man I feel in love with just because of his status. My point is, I GOT TO MAKE A CHOICE. Everyone should have the choice!!!

July 31, 2009 1:59 PM


elg said...
First of all, I KNOW black gay men who know that they are HIV positive and STILL say they are HIV negative on those sites. I know this for a FACT.

Darian, your gay mentor told you correctly.

An individual cannot know his partner's HIV status for a fact unless you see his HIV test results with your own eyes. Until you see an individual's HIV test results, darian's gay mentor's advice should remain in effect. Even then, sex with a condom is a good thing until you know you are in a monogamous relationship.

I wish that gay men, and particularly black gay men, would be more honest about being HIV positive. It would make for a more healthier (both physically and mentally) "community". I put the word community in quotes because I do not think black gay men are a real community as things now stand: too many black gay men are not being truthful about being HIV postive.

True story: I once told a black gay man I was about to "get down" with that I am HIV positive and he told me he was HIV positive too. We had a great time together and are close to this day. For me, honest disclosure is a turn-on.

Black gay men should "man up" and get tested regularly. If you are HIV positive be honest about it with any potential sex partners. You will probably find that you have more company than you think.

July 31, 2009 1:59 PM


HypnotiqOne said...
My main concern with this topic is negotiating caution while not being too fatalistic with the realities that exist for many MSM of color.

First of all, let's reframe our thinking from the "46%." Has anybody actually read the report from that study? You should. HIV Prevalence 5 Cities 1,767 MSM participated. 25%(442)were Black. Of the MSM who participated, 25% tested positive. Of those 450 MSM, 46% (206) were Black. The study definitely highlights a HIV incidence and unrecognized infection problem...BUT it is in a targeted sample of high risk MSM in only 5 cities. In addition, the data are unweighted and cannot be generalized due to the limited number of incident cases. So it is likely not entirely true that "nearly 50% of all black gay men are HIV +."

HIV Incidence in US Populations is a more recent and reliable report. It shows that there were more than twice the HIV infections in young Black MSM (18-29) when compared to White MSM. However, it was White MSM [NOT BLACK] that made up nearly half (46%) of all HIV infection. Just something to ponder...

But as it relates to the question Darian posed, I think sero-sorting is a form a risk reduction and should be embraced. It is also one of the MANY ways we discriminate when finding sex partners. Let's be real. "No fat, no femme!" Hello!?

And most of the DDF ads also say Safe Sex Only, so it doesn't mean that men are necessarily going to have unsafe sex because someone said they are negative on a hook up site. They are just taking precautions. So shouldn't that be applauded? And we cannot act like we haven't seen HIV + men seek other HIV + men either.

I think this is a reaction to being excluded. It has happened to us all, HIV status removed.

July 31, 2009 2:29 PM


Ty said...
For me it is just a mention of a preference. Like saying that you are a non-smoker looking for another non-smoker. In this case, ones claim that they are neg and are looking for other neg people. This shouldn't be read as pos people are less than human or should be treated as lepers. It is someone stating what THEY are in search of.

With that being said, I can see where the term "clean" can come across as insensitive as it alludes that someone pos is unclean.

I also have to agree with your wise-ol'-counselor. Because people do lie about their status, you have to be safe, EACH AND EVERY TIME.

July 31, 2009 2:33 PM


elg said...
Sorry, I didn't really answer your question.

I do not feel there's discrimination going on here and if there is, it's OK. An HIV negative man is certainly entitled to want another HIV negative man, however, why not say something like "HIV negative, looking for same".

I'm old enough to remember ads (I'm showing my age here) placed in gay newspapers stipulating "no fats, femmes or BLACKS". This was eventually changed to something like "straight acting white gay man looking for same". Some people had a problem with "straight acting" but that's another thread.

If "disease free UB2" is OK, then why not go back to the days when white gay guys (and maybe snow queens, too) would place ads saying "no fats, femmes or BLACKS"? White gay guys used to place ads like this in gay magazines (like the "Advocate") ROUTINELY.

July 31, 2009 3:27 PM


Steven Austin said...
My opinion on this issue is pretty simple. I wanted to say this at a recent discussion I attended on HIV, but the reality is:

1) Even if you get a negative test result, it doesn't mean you don't have it, it REALLY means they just couldn't detect it! Don't be stupid! Besides, they tell you that the result is only valid up until three months of the date of the test.

2) The virus itself can take up to 10 years to manifest itself in a given person. You know how many folks you can have sex with in 10 years just because the test hasn't found the virus in the meantime?

3) Condoms are not 1000% effective. So, you can pass the virus along to plenty of other folks before it's even detected in you, even while you are "protecting yourself."

It's a very scary situation. Much of the panic about HIV stems from the idea that the virus has no cure, and it manifests itself in so many different ways in various people. It's scary, confusing, and complicated. Is it any wonder that it's such an epidemic in this country?

Stop being naive! HIV don't discriminate. Young, fine, and ripped...tall, thin, and light-skinned...short, dark, and obese... them, too! You never know...and it ain't 1986. You can't tell by looking anymore!!

July 31, 2009 4:31 PM


Anonymous said...
Wow, Darian….. I will agree that this is a great topic but have to really ponder for all those that yes it is sexual discrimination would feel that same way concerning a person’s weight, sexual preferences (Top, Bottoms, or Vers.) We as MEN have a really messed up outlook on life at times. Even the most wise/smart ones. So like a person body mass is okay because it is a preference HIV and other diseases have and continue to take a toll on the black community. It’s a matter of survival. I cannot tell anyone that is trying to keep themselves safe and live a longer hopefully healthier life not to do that because someone else didn’t try to do the same. I do not want to sound non-compassionate because I really am. Like many people, I have lost many friends to this disease. Huh, as I think about many of their hookups never really asked or seemed to care because that had that look of the muscular body and manly attitude. That is even more scary since not we do not even talk out HIV that often anymore!

Oh and BTW I really enjoy your blog.

July 31, 2009 6:26 PM


Experienced said...
Hell NO! It is NOT discrimination. With all of the HIV awareness and pride events out here, there are still a lot of selfish and irresponsible black gay men who know that they are HIV+ and will have unprotected sex without disclosing anything!! I've personally been involved with two different black men who knew that they were HIV+ and never said a word to me. Granted, I was in my early 20's at the time, was very naive, never asked about their status and just assumed because I was the top that I wasn't in the high risk category. However, it was still a total act of cowardly deceit on their parts that I had to stumble onto this potentially life threatening information months after we'd been dating.








At this rate HIV will never go away. Its 2009 and HIV is still shrouded in secrecy in the black community. The black gay community needs to shift its focus from so much compassion and overprotection of our HIV+ brothers and start focusing more on the realities and RESPONSIBILITIES to others that an HIV+ diagnoses carries. That's where the true prevention lies. When it comes to sex your HIV status is NOT proprietary information! WE SHOULD ALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE!

July 31, 2009 9:22 PM


Anonymous said...
I agree that we all have the right to choose, but HIV+ people are NOT responsible for your healthy or not healthy choices. I think a lot of people don't get tested because of the fear of rejection and being alone and stigmatized. It's a horrible truth but let's face it. When you go on these dating sites you'll have people posting ads that say they've been tested and are "DDF" but they want to do everything under the sun and do it all bare back. (I'm rambling a bit but stay with me.) I mean let's face the facts here. ANYTIME YOU CHOOSE TO LAY DOWN AND HAVE UNPROCTECTED SEX YOU ARE PUTTING YOURSELF AT RISK. Even if the person says they tested six months ago and was negative. How much bare back sex had they had since then? Even if you THINK you are in a monogamous relationship, as we've seen with all of these Republican Senators getting busted lately, YOUR MAN MAY STILL BE STEPPING OUT. I mean if you think about it too much you'll be in a scene from the play JEFFREY. So all I'm saying is...Everyone wants to be given a chance. Guys lie about how big their dicks are hoping when you see it you won't care because you like them, they do it with age, ethnicity, how much they make, and what they do, etc. True enough, HIV is a serious medical condition but this thing is a two way street. Yes we must continue to promote the importance of testing, disclosing, but we must also promote an encourage this to be a culture where people are feel safe to discuss their status.

August 01, 2009 12:31 AM


AfroGay said...
Gaydar (www.gaygadar.co.uk) has it right. On there profiles indicate safe sex or not rather than HIV status. A4A just perpetrate a lie when they allow men to lie so brazenly on their profiles - as obviously they do.

My worry is for the young, wide eyed men coming out as gay and believing everything they are reading on the profiles. A4A is laying potential minefields in their paths by allowing members to lie easily,

August 01, 2009 4:55 AM


ariel said...
Its a risk..but I don't say that because I think it can hurt a group of people already dealing. What I will say to my brothas and people in-general dealing is don't feel totally alone. Black coupled with being gay equals alone regardless...status is just extra information.

August 01, 2009 10:36 AM


ToddyEnglish said...
I would prefer that a potential encounter be HIV -. Myself, I am negative; however, I'll not be delusional enough to believe that someone is negative just because they say so. That is why I believe that you should use condoms with every sexual encounter.
Myself, I rarely hook up. But when and If I do, again, protection is the priority.

August 01, 2009 2:28 PM


Experienced said...
I totally agree that we do have to be responsible for our own healthy choices. But being that abstinence is the only real form of safe sex out here, I feel that men who know they are HIV+ have an obligation to reveal that information to all of their potential sexual partners.

August 01, 2009 7:07 PM


BJ Designz said...
In a space like BGC and A4A, I would say sensitivity to ads and the words chosen to communicate what you want is a bit extreme. With all of the booty and penis photos and graphic descriptions of what they want done to them, it is hard to take seriously that mentioning disease free is what we find as offensive. I understand that no one wants to feel less than, neither do i, but if you're looking for love or a quick piece, it may be best to hear first hand where people stand. HIV is not the common cold, it changes your life. And if people would prefer that their life not change, then so be it. Let's not be all mushy and sensitive when the bent over naked boy prints that he wants disease free to come over to his house and do sex on him. I'm negative and doing what I have to do to stay that way. Other people should too. No matter which way you look at it, a latex condom is too thin to depend on with your life. People should be selective in whom they risk their life with.

My best friend is positive and I see all the pills and I worry myself to death everytime he coughs and it kills me inside to know that he lives with this everyday with no vacation, no holidays and a ruthless possibility of sick days. He does not deserve it, but he has it. Things could be different if he were more careful. So if a part of someone's effort to protect themselves is to not date or have sex with people who are positive, then I don't see a problem. No one can convince me otherwise, until latex condoms are manufactured by NASA, and still...

August 02, 2009 9:40 PM


HELLO GIANT said...
Like several other guys stated in the comments above. I know guys who are positive as well that not only go on sites like ADAM and Men4Now (they lie to receive some type of comfort from a society which does not allow them to feel love or accepted). I think we are all fooling ourselves if dont treat everyone like they have STD... And stop discriminating...we get that enough from outsiders...

August 02, 2009 10:00 PM


[Photo]


Log onto any of the popular gay hook-up sites, Black Gay Chat, Adam 4 Adam, Manhunt, etc and you're bound to read the following; "Disease Free U B 2" in just about every profile along with the standard "hood speech", penis size, and preferred sexual position.


But is this a form of sexual discrimination? One HIV positive man who wrote into sex advice columnist Woody Miller seems to think so.


"What is up with so many guys advertising their HIV-negative status in discriminatory terms like “HIV Neg- UB2,” or “D&D Free for Same,” and lots of other senseless statements in the same vein? That is so ten years ago! What would they do DIFFERENTLY if they DIDN’T know my status right up front? And since when does the word “CLEAN” refer to absence of HIV??? YIKES!"


If we are to believe the statistics nearly 50% of all black gay men are positive. So are we naive enough to believe that we've never slept with someone who has HIV or will never come across someone we've met online during a hook-up that isn't honest about his status?


Is it really necessary to say, “disease-free UB2” when one could easily say “Prefer HIV-?” And when you're meeting someone for a random hook-up how will you know for sure if they're being honest?


A wise gay mentor once told me to treat everyone as if they're positive and take the proper precautions. So what say you?


Don't hold back. Discuss.
posted by Darian at 12:10 PM on Jul 31, 2009